Wishing on the brightest star
by Dream4aSleepyZombie
Summary: He'd never wanted anything bad enough to wish on a star, until now that is.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer- I own none of the main characters, only the one's you don't recognise. **

**A/N: This was requested by Chymom before I started CTB. She wanted us both to write our own versions of Parent's day at Parker's school and release them together; since I basically had no clue what Parent's day was this is my attempt. Now I did have this almost completed before I started CTB but I had no idea CTB would take so long to complete before I started posting, so this one is set a ways back. Chymom, I hope it's what you were looking for.**

**Wishing on the brightest star.**

Thursday night was quiet in the Booth/Stinson household, although Parker knew that had everything to do with his Mom still being at work, he wished Rose would make some sort of noise downstairs, so he didn't feel so alone.

It was a little after nine o'clock and Parker was crawling into his bed. His science book sat on his bedside table, waiting for its owner to read its white pages, just as he had, every night for the past three weeks. Parker pulled the covers up to his chin and sighed, turning his head to look out the window.

The stars flickered brightly in the dark sky, making the ten year old feel small and insignificant. He stared at the silver specks, watching how some grew bigger the longer he gazed at them. He could hear his dad's voice in his head from a conversation shared a long time ago _'starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might that I may have this wish tonight...'_ Parker closed his eyes, laying a wish on the star that burned brightest in his mind.

* * *

It was Friday afternoon, the sun was still high in the sky above and not a cloud could be seen. Parker Booth stepped down off the bus and sighed; he hitched his book bag higher onto his shoulder and walked toward the familiar red bricked building that had become his escape for after school. He could walk into a world where he was noticed and felt wanted, a world where his favorite subjects, math and science came together, a world that was full of people who listened to him and doted on him-some more than others-he smiled.

Parker had started his new school three weeks ago, Hoover Academy. His mom had gotten a promotion and a transfer to another office, and while they moved to be closer to her new job they had also moved out of Parker's old school district.

Rebecca had been made Senior Partner at her law firm, and while the money was great now, she worked constantly, Parker was lucky if he saw her every couple of days. Rose had become a live in nanny and while Parker liked her, he could think of other people he'd prefer to hang out with.

The ten year old walked up the sixteen steps and into the foyer of the Jeffersonian.

"Good afternoon Master Booth."

Parker smiled at the thick southern accent of Tim, the Jeffersonian security guard.

"Hi Mr Acker, is Julie feeling better?"

Tim smiled at the thought of his daughter at home in bed. Parker had met Julie at science club and they became friends very quickly.

"She'll be ok, it's a nasty flu bug though, you make sure you get your shots."

Parker smiled.

"I did, I made Doctor. Brennan come with me, so she had to get one too."

Tim smiled as the boy before him chuckled with the memory.

* * *

Flashback

"_Parker unless the exact strain of influenza is matched in the injection, this is a pointless task"_

_Parker smiled as he rolled his eyes in exasperation. Taking her hand they walked into the doctor surgery._

"_I know Bones but I if I want to go to science camp this year, I've gotta have my shots, please get yours too."_

_She had rolled her eyes at his pout and pleading voice._

"_Don't do that, you're as bad as your father."_

_She smiled and kissed his forehead, taking a seat in the waiting room._

End Flashback

* * *

"I'm sure she was happy to go with you."

Parker nodded, he knew as much as she had protested against the needle, she had been happy to spend time with him.

"Well, I'm gonna go find Bones, nice to see you Mr Acker, tell Julie I said hi."

Parker waved and walked into the lab, the whoosh of controlled air hitting his face and causing his hair to blow back. The lab was busy as usual, people bustling around holding folders and beakers. Parker strolled past Angela's office, casually glancing in to see if she was there.

"Hey baby Booth, how's things?"

He smiled as she looked up from her computer.

"Ok I guess."

He shrugged unenthusiastically, making her smile.

"Well that was convincing..."

She tilted her head at his sad smirk and placed her pen on the desk.

"Still having trouble fitting in huh?"

Parker looked up with defeated eyes as Ange walked toward him.

"Hey, don't worry; they'll come round, just give it time."

Parker nodded.

"Is Bones in her office?"

Ange grinned. Brennan and Parker got on extremely well and Ange had noticed her best friend had become quite fond of the younger Booth in recent times, she was often seen reading with him or talking quietly in a corner, and last week she was even caught outside with him tossing a football around.

"Yeah kiddo, I think she is."

Parker and Ange carried out their routine secret handshake and then he was gone.

The door to her office was open; he approached halting at the threshold and then entering. Brennan didn't need to look up to know who had entered her office, the sound of the footfalls were as familiar as his father's and made her smile. Parker dropped his bag at the foot of her coat rack and walked over.

"Hey Bones."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek as she looked up with a smile.

"Hi Parker..."

She looked to her watch and frowned.

"You're a little early aren't you?"

He plonked himself down in a chair across from her, the desk between them.

"Early mark, we had a field trip to the Botanic Gardens."

She tilted her head, remembering he had mentioned it a few days ago, her expression then returned to its previous frown.

"And they just let you walk out of school early, without letting parents and carers know the situation, that doesn't seem very responsible"

Parker smirked at her unimpressed tone.

"Does your father know about this school's obvious lack of duty of care?"

She wasn't asking she knew Booth would not approve of his child being let out of school early to roam the streets of DC unaided. Parker pulled a book from her desk and flipped through the pages silently, stopping every now and then to peruse the pictures of burial sites in China. When he'd finished he replaced the book and stayed silent, his forearms on the desk in front of him and his chin resting on them, he blew his floppy fringe from his face. Tempe, who had gone back to reading the file in her hand, looked up under her lashes to see her partner's son deep in thought.

"Is everything ok Parker?"

He nodded.

"Are you sure, perhaps if you share your problem it won't seem quite so perplexing."

Parker smiled cutely. He did have one thing on his mind and it had been rolling around in his head for almost a week now.

"Well there is one thing... we have parent's day at school next week and I really want you to come."

She looked up a little shocked.

"Parent's day?"

Parker nodded, thinking back to his wish on Thursday night.

"Yep, it's when you get your Mom and Dad to come to the school and talk about their jobs, to inspire kids to do the same when they get older."

Brennan raised her eyebrows.

"But Parker wouldn't your actual Mo..."

"Google dictionary says a mother is a biological or social female parent of an offspring... that could be you right?"

He tilted his head to the side innocently and smiled at her momentary bewilderment. Parker got up walking around behind her, his arms dropping over her shoulders as she sat in her chair, his cheek pressing to hers.

"Pleeeasssseee."

She smiled, her hands finding his at her clavicle and holding them tightly. Booth walked in and smiled at his two favorite people, they both gazed up at him with excited eyes.

"Whatta you sucking up for now?"

Booth joked. He had noticed his son had his partner wrapped around his little finger and she seemed pretty darn pleased to be there.

"I'm not sucking up; I was just asking a question."

Parker turned his face toward Brennan's cheek and kissed her hard, making smoochie noises with his lips, which in turn caused her to giggle. Booth shook his head at them both, it never surprised him how well they got on, they always had, but the way his son had taken to her and opened up to her, gave a small shock and her easy affection for his son was also unexpected.

Parker looked back up to his dad, deciding to let Bones ponder the question for a while.

"Are we all going to the diner?"

"Yep, so grab your stuff, you ready Bones?"

She stood with a curt nod, loving the traditional Friday evening dinners at the Diner with 'her' Booth boys. Grabbing her bag, she smiled, walking toward the jacket that Booth was already holding out for her to slip into. They stood facing each other, silently conversing.

"_Is my son ok?_

She nodded, telling him in no uncertain terms his child was fine.

"_Are you ok?"_

She smiled at his concerned expression.

"_Yes, I'm fine."_

"_What was Parker asking you?"_

She placed a placating hand on his forearm.

"_I'll tell you later."_

Parker watched them, seeing their eyes flick back and forth to each other. He shouldered his book bag, walking between them slowly, he grabbed their hands as he turned, walking himself backward out the door, as he pulled them along after him.

"Come on, I'm so hungry I could eat an elephant."

Brennan scrunched up her face in disgust.

"Parker I wouldn't recommend that, not only would you be sick after ingesting a whole elephant but I'm not certain it's a healthy meat to consume."

Parker looked to his dad and smiled, before returning his gaze to Bones and speaking seriously.

"You're right Bones; I don't know what I was thinking."

She watched him slap his forehead and roll his eyes; she tilted her head to side as Booth whispered in her ear.

"I think he was joking Bones."

She rounded her head in acknowledgment.

"Well that's a relief."

Parker shook his head amused and tugged on their hands, before joining the 'partners' extremities together and releasing them himself. The boy smiled as their fingers automatically entwined, palm to palm and side by side.

Leaving the Lab and strolling across the parking structure, it wasn't until Booth and Bones moved to their respective sides of the SUV, that they realized they had held hands the entire way to the truck. Brennan's fingers felt cold without his warm hand encompassing them and Booth registered the feeling of loss from his own palm, without hers to hold.

The drive to the diner was uneventful; Brennan excused herself when they arrived to use the ladies room, while the boys went to their normal table.

"So Pal are you going to tell me what you were trying to get Bones to do?"

Parker smiled.

"Nothing Dad."

Booth raised his brows.

"Really? Are you sure?"

The young boy shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"School is having parent's day and I want Bones and you to come, I was going to ask you later when we got home but..."

Booth smiled as the waitress approached.

"Hello Agent Booth, Parker..."

She looked to the counter and then back to the father and son.

"No Doctor. Brennan tonight?"

Booth smiled.

"She's in the bathroom."

Sandra the waitress nodded and held up her notepad and pen.

"Shall I come back to take your order when she returns?"

Booth looked to the menu.

"Nah, I can order for her."

Sandra took the order and walked away with a smile.

"When is this parent's day Buddy?"

Parker pulled the note from his pocket and handed it over to his father.

"Wow they don't give you much time do they, this is on Thursday."

Parker nodded.

"What did your Mom say?"

Parker dropped his eyes to the table.

"I didn't tell her."

Booth's eyes widened.

"Well how is she going to go if she doesn't know about it Pal?"

Parker slowly returned his gaze to his dad, looking more than a little guilty.

"I… I don't want her to go, I want you and Bones, besides Mom's busy with stuff."

Booth handed the note back.

"How do you know she's busy Buddy if you haven't asked her?"

Parker rolled his eyes.

"She's always too busy now Dad, she works all the time and if I ask her and she says no then she'll feel bad, please can you just come with Bones?"

Brennan walked over quietly, seeing the serious looks on both faces.

"Is everything ok?"

Father and son both looked up, giving matching charm smiles as they answered in unison.

"Yep."

She sat herself down next to her partner and smiled at the iced tea resting in front of her.

"Thanks Booth."

She inclined her head to the drink, receiving a 'no problems' shrug.

"Have you ordered yet?"

Booth briefly looked a little worried.

"Ah yeah, I got you a salad?"

She smiled and nodded her head in acceptance.

"Thank you, did you remember to get..."

"Cheese on the side, yes and no onion."

Brennan ducked her head hiding a faint blush. He knew her so well. There was silence for a few minutes and then Booth spoke.

"Parks, can you go wash your hands before we eat please."

The boy frowned and then nodded realizing his father wanted to talk to Bones alone. Brennan smiled as Parker slid out of the booth and excused himself. Booth watched his son disappear into the men's room and then turned to face his partner.

"Parker told me what he asked you... about parent's day."

She swallowed visibly, wondering if he was upset at her for some reason.

"I was going to tell you later..."

Booth smiled, she was concerned he was unhappy. Taking her hand as it rested on her thigh, Booth smoothed his thumb over her knuckles.

"Are you gonna go?"

She tilted her head.

"I don't know, I wanted to know what you thought before I made a decision."

Booth shrugged.

"He wants you to come, I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable or forced into it."

She smiled.

"Should this not be something Rebecca participates in?"

Booth raised his brows and sighed.

"Well, there's no set rule that says he has to bring his biological parents but he made it pretty damn clear to me just now, that he doesn't want Becca there so, of course I'll try to convince him to at least ask her... I guess it depends on what you want and don't let his puppy dog eyes work on you."

Brennan laughed.

"Oh, just like yours don't work huh?"

The question was rhetorical, Booth knew very well the power he held over her and his only response was to charm smile her.

"If it doesn't make you uncomfortable Booth, I'm perfectly happy to go along."

Booth nodded a satisfied grin on his face.

"Good and why would I be uncomfortable?"

The waitress laid the food out, just as Parker returned. Booth chuckled as his partner's hand reached out the second the fries were down and snatched one up. Parker smiled.

"Bones, how come you don't order fries?"

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled swallowing her last bite.

"They taste better when they're stolen."

Was all she said by way of explanation. Both boys chuckled as she stole another fry popping it into her mouth before fork-ing a cherry tomato from her own plate. Booth honestly didn't mind sharing with her, he was happy as long as she ate, he had realized a few months back that she was the only person apart from Parker that he allowed to touch his food. The thought made him smile.

"Dad..."

Booth looked up to his son.

"Yeah Pal."

"Can we go to the zoo tomorrow, I'm doing a project on primates and I want to take some photos."

Booth smiled, school work on the weekend, that was definitely his partner's influence.

"Sure Pal, we can make a day of it huh?"

Parker nodded.

"Bones can you come?"

She looked to Booth unsure what to say. Booth smiled and nodded, silently inviting her along. She turned back to Parker.

"Sure I'd love to, shall I meet you both there?"

Booth swallowed his mouthful and answered.

"Nah we'll pick you up at about nine-ish?"

She nodded, smiling sweetly at the thought of accompanying them to the zoo.

* * *

**Chapter one down, please review if you want more.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer-I don't own any characters you recognise.**

**A/N: Hope you enjoy, please review at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

**Thursday morning- Parents day**

The weekend progressed quickly as did the beginning of the week. Brennan suspected it had a lot to do with the fact that she was nervous about appearing at Parker's new school. She knew he was having trouble fitting in and didn't want to add to his problems with her own awkwardness, she wondered if the ten year old had seriously thought his request through. A knock on her apartment door roused her from her thoughts. She stood up, straightening her blouse and skirt, before moving to the door and opening it.

"Morning Bones."

A head of blonde curls crashed against her torso, willowy arms wrapping around her midsection. She smiled and looked up into the warm brown eyes of her partner, before returning her gaze to his son.

"Good morning Parker."

He stepped back giving her a bright smile.

"Are you ready to go Bones, school starts in half an hour?"

She nodded grabbing her bag from the marble bench top in her kitchen.

"Yes I'm ready."

Booth could hear the apprehension in her voice and wondered if she was having second thoughts.

"Hey buddy... why don't you go wait for the elevator, we'll just be a sec."

Parker nodded and ran out the door and down the hall. Booth turned to his partner, his brows raised and a relaxed expression on his face.

"You ok Bones?"

She sighed at his concern.

"I'm fi..."

At the look on his face she decided to tell the truth.

"I will admit that I am a little anxious, you know I'm not good in social situations, what if I embarrass him Booth, he'll never forgive me, what if I say something wrong or..."

Booth pulled her into his arms without warning, he hugged her firmly, she stiffened and then instantly relaxed against him.

"You'll be fine Bones, he wants you there and you could never upset him enough that he wouldn't speak to you again, he loves you Bones, besides you've gotten a lot better in social settings, you'll be fine, I promise."

He felt her nod against his shoulder, her warm breath ghosting across the sensitive flesh of his neck. He gave her a quick squeeze before pulling back slightly and giving her a playful grin.

"Besides, when was the last time you embarrassed yourself, when I was around huh?"

She smiled.

"That's only because you dig me out, Booth."

He chuckled and nodded.

"Bail you out Bones and I promise to bail you out today as well."

She thought about it for a second before nodding and impulsively leaning back into his body. Booth's heart soared at her initiating a hug and he didn't hesitate to wrap her solidly in his arms and hug hard.

"Are you guys coming?"

Came a steady shout from the hall. The adults separated and smiled shyly at one another as they walked out of the apartment together, Booth's hand once again taking up pride of place on the small of her back.

The car trip was fifteen minutes of listening to Temperance Brennan worry. _Should I have made a speech? Perhaps the other parents won't appreciate their children learning of bones, maybe I should talk about being an author instead or a partner to an FBI agent, what if the other children have questions, I'm not good with children..._

A gentle and comforting hand rested on her knee.

"Bones... you are a brilliant, successful, talented and a loveable woman, stop worrying, you'll be great, you don't need a speech, you can talk about whatever job you want, you can talk about all of them if you want and you're great with kids... I mean have you seen my son lately..."

The question was rhetorical; he was alluding to the fact that she was fantastic with his son. He wasn't expecting an answer from her but he also wasn't expecting the dumbfounded look on her face either.

"Bones... are you ok?"

She didn't respond just continued to stare out the window until she felt his fingers caressing her skirt clad knee.

"Bones?"

She gave a small questionable smile.

"You think I'm loveable."

Booth slowly allowed a smile to grace his features; the vulnerability in her voice was adorable. Booth pulled the truck into the school grounds and parked. Parker grabbed his stuff and jumped out. Booth turned to his partner and took her hand in his.

"Yes Temperance, I think you are extremely loveable."

His eyes bore down into hers watching as the light blue pools became a darker cerulean. Booth noted her shy smile; he brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles lightly.

* * *

Parker led his Dad and Bones up the steps and into the school. Brennan couldn't help feeling a little down when she compared Parker's social standing now, to his last school. There were children everywhere and not one looked up to greet Parker the way they did the other students. She could remember a school function at his previous school where every child seemed determined for Parker Booth to acknowledge their existence.

Waiting in the school foyer was rather noisy, but with a sudden exclamation of 'Oh my God it's Temperance Brennan' a number of heads popped up and looked in her direction. Tempe felt her face flush and turned looking to Booth wide eyed and pleading, Booth instinctively sought to ease her worry with a tender hand to her shoulder but as he watched two women approach, his protective instincts took over, his hand going to her waist instead and pulling her and Parker to his side.

"Oh my God Temperance Brennan, I love your books, can I ask you some questions, when is your next book coming out? Will you be..."

Brennan looked up to the now four women and their children and significant others surrounding them.

"I umm, Umm I'm sorry, I'm here for Parker not to promote my book, please I hope you understand..."

She began to try and back away, feeling uncomfortable and trapped. Booth knew her dislike for unruly crowds and stepped in front of her with a smile to their audience. He was about to tell them all to back away when another voice over the P.A sounded.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Principle Danner if you would all be so kind as to follow your children to their respective classrooms, parent's day will begin."

The classrooms had been setup to hold the increase of bodies, desks had been stacked at the back of the room and chairs were lined up in rows of fifteen across the room. Parker led his family to the back of the room, taking three places at the end of the row for an easy exit. There was a lot of chatter going on, mostly between the students although some parents obviously knew each other. Parker turned to Bones who was sitting next to him and tugged on her sleeve.

"Bones..."

She leaned in closer to him with a curious expression asked.

"Are you ok Parks?"

He nodded.

"I... I just wanna say thanks for coming."

She smiled brightly, his happiness meaning the world to her.

"Sure Parker, I'm glad to be here."

Parker rested his head on her shoulder, his arms wrapping around her forearm and hugging it tight. Booth smiled as his partner looked over at him, he had the feeling his son was hiding something but couldn't quite figure it out.

* * *

They were more than an hour into the day, it was nine forty five and Booth could tell his partner was growing impatient of listening to people speak of nothing that she probably didn't know already, she needed something to occupy her, he thought about his options for a moment before removing the photos of the zoo from his pocket. He had picked them up last night on the way home and decided they could all look through them at lunch, but a bored Temperance Brennan was not good for anyone and avoidance was crucial.

Tempe smiled seeing the first picture, her mind instantly wandering back to their trip to the zoo.

* * *

Flashback.

_It was packed at the zoo, Booth, Parker and Brennan had arrived at the park just after ten and already there were a lot of people milling around. The sun was heating up to be a very warm day and most of the animals were currently basking in Mother Nature's glory._

_Parker reached out taking Brennan's hand in his as they walked toward the lion enclosure. She squeezed his hand unconsciously, loving the feeling of being wanted._

"_Oh wow, he's huge Bones, Dad look at the lion."_

_Booth grinned seeing his son take hold of his Partner's hand._

"_Yeah I see Pal, what does the information board say about him?"_

_Parker looked down reading the plaque in front of him._

"_It says his name his Isoba it means walks slowly and stealthily in African..."_

_Booth nodded thinking the name was probably very fitting, for a lion._

"_It says he's six years old and has sired three cubs..."_

_Parker frowned looking up to Bones._

"_What's sired mean Bones?"_

_She smiled._

"_It means he's the father of three cubs."_

_Parker raised his eyebrows._

"_Wow, three kids and he's only six."_

_Booth watched as Bones squatted down next to Parker, consequently making her shorter than him._

"_Actually Parker, that's not very many, in the wild he would have had great deal more but being in captivity often reduces the birth rate."_

_Parker listened attentively._

"_Why?"_

"_Well the animals are not free to interact as they naturally would, being in captivity changes the animal instinct."_

"_Then why don't they let them be free again."_

"_They can't, if they were to release these animals into the wild, they would surely die very quickly they wouldn't know how to catch live prey or how to shelter themselves from harsh weather..."_

"_Why did they get put in the Zoo in the first place?"_

_Brennan shifted her position, bearing her weight on the balls of her feet evenly and unconsciously leaning against Booth's leg for support, her hand wrapping around his ankle, to steady herself. Booth smiled, placing his hands on her shoulders and moving slightly to the left so her back was leaning against both his legs._

"_Parker these lions were probably born in captivity but originally they would have been taken from the wild to place in exhibits such as these as a way to draw in money and visitors for the zoo, alternatively the wild lions could have been captured for research or educational purposes and then retired to a zoo after research was complete."_

_Parker made an 'o' of comprehension with his mouth and looked back into the enclosure. Booth leaned down taking his partner under her arms and lifting her easily to an upright position. She blushed slightly at his ease with her and nodded in thanks._

"_So where to now?"_

_Parker turned._

"_Let's go see the monkey's, I wanna get photos before they all start sleeping again."_

_Both adults nodded, Booth's hand taking up residence on the small of Tempe's back and guiding her toward 'Primate Playground'._

_The enclosure was packed with what seemed like most of DC standing around the fence line watching feeding time, the threesome found a space to stand, Parker's camera clicking as he took photos enthusiastically._

"_Oh look a mom gorilla and a baby."_

_He pointed and began snapping shots of the baby gorilla being nursed by its overprotective mother. There was a sudden roar from a male gorilla in the enclosure. Parker took photos, as the large silverback beat his chest and swept dirt up at another male who was approaching the mother and baby._

"_Are they fighting Bones?"_

_She looked down at his worried eyes._

"_The larger male is asserting his dominance; he's the alpha male and is warning the other male to stay away from his family."_

_Brennan turned to Booth with a cheeky smile._

"_You know Parker, you can find a lot of similarities between humans and gorillas, your Dad for instance, is very much an alpha male."_

_Booth smiled but narrowed his gaze at her._

"_Bones, did you just call me a gorilla?"_

_She smirked at him._

"_Booth that's a terrible thing to say about yourself..."_

_Booth tilted his head, knowing she hadn't finished._

"_You don't have nearly enough hair..."_

_Parker giggled watching his Dad's mouth drop in mock horror as Tempe turned back to watch the feeding. Booth snorted at her playfulness and stepped a little closer to her, his chest almost flush against her back._

_End Flashback_

* * *

Parker watched Tony walk up the front of the classroom with his Mom and Dad, they were all smiling with big cheesy fake grins, telling Parker they were not as happy as they seemed. Tony seemed uncomfortable with his parents and they looked bored. Parker wondered if things would change after running into Tony after school last Tuesday.

* * *

_Start Flashback_

_Parker was walking toward the school bus stop, when he felt a hard jab to his shoulder; he turned and sighed, his shoulders dropping in defeat._

"_Hey dork"_

_Parker looked up into the eyes of Jimmy and Tony Costello. They were the school bully ringleaders and since starting the new school Parker had dealt with them every day._

"_Leave me alone."_

_Tony shoved him._

"_Or what, whatta you gonna do?"_

_Parker looked around, there were no teacher's in sight, which was probably for the best, dobbing would only get him in more trouble. Jimmy laughed._

"_Oh what's the matter Parker, Mommy to busy saving criminals to come help you?"_

_Parker frowned, no-one except the teachers had ever seen his Mom, how did they know she was lawyer ,he wondered if that was why all the kids had been giving him hard time, they thought his mom saved the bad guys..._

"_Whatta you talking about?"_

_Tony scowled._

"_We know your Mom works with murderers and stuff, when they kill someone, your Mom helps them stay out of jail."_

_Parker took a glance around the school grounds, feeling nervous._

"_I dunno what you're talking about."_

_Tony scoffed and gave Parker a hard shove into Jimmy who shoved back._

"_My Mom's a scientist, she helps my Dad put people in prison, he's an FBI agent."_

_Tony and Jimmy looked stunned; they turned to each other with a frown._

"_But Katie said, her Mom told her, your Mom was a lawyer."_

_Parker shook his head._

"_Nope, my Mom works at the Jeffersonian, and my Dad works at the Hoover building."_

_Both boys looked somewhat impressed. Parker glanced at his surroundings again, feeling a little guilty for lying._

"_Well I should go; my Mom gets worried if I don't get to her science lab by the right time."_

_With that he ran off toward the bus stop, feeling as though he had cheated on a test._

_END FLASHBACK_

* * *

**Another done, more?**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews guys.**

**Disclaimer-Still not mine.**

* * *

Brennan sat beside her Booth boys with a smile, the first picture was of the alpha male gorilla protecting his turf, she smiled with the memory of the conversation, the second photo, showed all three of them, standing in front of the lion enclosure, Booth with his arm around her and Parker in between them both, big smiles aimed at the old lady who took the snap. Another, was one Parker had obviously taken, Booth had scooped Bones up into his arms and threatened to throw her into the alligator enclosure, she was laughing and holding tight to his neck as they both ignored the camera.

Booth turned his head when he heard her soft chuckle and smiled seeing her engrossed in the pictures. She was so childlike sometimes he thought, despite her genius IQ she could still be distracted so easily and needed constant stimulation.

The classroom broke into a clapping frenzy as Billy Masters' Mom finished talking about owning a computer gaming shop. The teacher stood before them all.

"Ok its ten thirty and I believe the bell will ring in a moment for first break so, we shall break here and regroup at ten fifty."

As if on cue the bell sounded over the PA and the room was filled with the sounds of chairs being pushed and knocked about. Brennan handed the photos back to Booth, who placed them in his jacket pocket again. They waited for the room to empty before leaving themselves.

"Ok Buddy, where do you sit for break?"

Parker shrugged, as his dad's hand rested on his shoulder.

"Umm, usually the library."

Brennan smiled sadly, thinking of her own solitary, school life existence. She wanted more for him than her lonely life. They walked up toward the library slowly, Parker pointing out different parts of the school.

"And that's the gym, down there, it's not as big as the gym at my old school, they don't even have climbing ropes or anything."

Booth smiled, he could hear the nostalgia in his son's voice. He wasn't impressed with Parker having to change schools, it was tough on a kid to have to try and make friends now days, especially half way through a school year.

"What about the science labs Pal, you said they were pretty good."

Parker shrugged.

"Yeah, but the teachers are stupid, they don't know nearly as much as Bones."

Tempe blushed as Parker unwittingly praised her.

"Yeah well, the world is pretty stupid compared to Bones Buddy."

Brennan frowned.

"Booth you can't possibly make a statement like that without some form of evi..."

His hand covered her mouth as he cocked his brow at her.

"You weren't being serious..."

He smiled at her muffled speech against his palm, he released her slowly.

"You were being facetious, not pointing out an actual fact..."

Booth wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side.

"You're gettin better Bones."

She smiled, somewhat pleased at her own learning curve.

They walked up to the library, Parker showing them where he generally sat, reading and doing his homework. Walking around the small library, Tempe was displeased with what little references the school housed.

"How does this school expect to turn out scholars with this... this..."

She looked to Booth and Parker, who were both smiling at her with matching curious stares.

"This trash, honestly..."

She leaned into Booth and whispered loudly.

"For the considerable amount of money you're paying for school fees Booth, the books should at least be published in the last ten years."

Booth thought about her statement, he hadn't gotten a say in the school Rebecca had chosen, and truth be told neither had she but it was his ex's decision to move and uproot their son from the very good school he was in, to this apparently inferior one. Parker looked up seeing Tony walk toward him; the blonde haired Booth broke away from his Dad and Bones, not wanting Tony to reveal his lie.

"Hey Parker."

Parker didn't respond, he simply stared at the brown eyed boy who had been giving him nothing but grief since starting at this school.

"So my Mom wants to meet your Mom for some reason, something about her being famous, I didn't even know my Mom liked science."

"Umm... well..."

Parker's pulse raced, how would he get out of this one, he hated lies, they always got outta hand.

"Well actually the bell is gonna ring and my Mom hates being late, so maybe later huh."

Parker hurried back to his 'Mom' and Dad ushering them quickly out of the library, they made it back to the classroom just as the bell began. Taking up the same seats as earlier, the classroom filled quickly. Tempe leaned into Booth and whispered.

"Do you want a peppermint?"

She held out a pack of mints to him with a smile. Booth gave a slight frown, before self-consciously breathing into his palm. Tempe grinned at his vanity and raised her brows.

"I was just offering Booth; you do not suffer from halitosis."

He furrowed his brow in confusion, Tempe noted his silent question.

"Bad breath, Booth."

He expressed his comprehension and held his hand out.

"Umm... sure."

He took a mint, popping it into his mouth. Tempe turned to Parker and offered him the same, delighted at his instant smile and thanks. Parker lowered his eyes when he saw Tony walk in with his parents, they sat at the front as previous allowing Parker to sigh in relief for now. The teacher stood at the front of the classroom, waiting patiently for the room's occupants to quieten down before he spoke.

"Ok, we have an hour and a half before lunch, so let us begin, Joan Sinclair, would you and your mom like to start us off."

Joan stood up and introduced her mother to the class. Brennan listened quietly for the first half an hour as Ms Sinclair prattled on about her life as a female pool cleaner, she spoke of how rewarding it was and how she felt she was setting an example for women telling them they can do anything they want. To the trained eye of Booth, he could tell his partner was getting frustrated again and placed a calming hand on her knee. Tempe looked to her right feeling a gentle pressure against her bare skin; she smiled seeing Booth's thumb rub back and forth over her flesh, she felt at ease and momentarily forgot where she was.

"It's nearly over Bones."

She looked into his eyes and sighed as he whispered softly into her ear. She leaned in and whispered back not as quietly.

"She can't honestly believe that a pool cleaner was her ultimate dream job Booth, I mean seriously, that is a job you fall into, not a career goal."

Parker looked over hearing his Dad's partner's not so quiet voice, he smiled, his Dad was already trying to calm her down, as per usual, he had a hand laying against her skin, somewhere on her body it didn't seem to matter if it was her hand or arm or her leg, she settled when he touched her, his Dad was always patient and calm with her and he never showed her he was frustrated. Parker had lost count of the times he had seen this very same scenario between them and he knew it would end well.

"Bone's not everyone is a genius and perhaps she is very proud of her work."

He raised his eyebrows and watched her relent. Tempe looked back to the front of the room and listened to the kids asking questions like 'do you get to swim in the pools?'

Three others did their talk and then it was time for lunch, with an invitation to the auditorium for a special luncheon. Once again the Booth clan waited for the room to empty before getting up, although Parker was currently standing between Tempe's knees chatting with her about her speech.

"Are you gonna talk about the dead bodies Bones?"

She smiled.

"Well I've decided I will talk about anthropology and being your Father's partner and being an author but I won't mention the word dead or bodies, just in case a child or parent finds it offensive. Is that ok with you Parks?"

He grinned happily.

"Yep, you can talk about whatever you want Bones, I'm proud of you no matter what."

Booth smiled brightly at the crimson flush currently spreading up his best friend's neck and face. She ducked her head shyly and focused on calming the fluttering birds in her stomach.

"Thank you Parker."

They entered the hall amongst the masses of people; Parker led them both toward the tables of sandwiches, coffee, tea and juice. They helped themselves and moved to find a place to sit and eat. Brennan excused herself to find the bathrooms, leaving father and son to talk quietly.

"Bones is bored isn't she Dad?"

Booth looked to his son and smiled.

"I wouldn't say she's bored Buddy, I think she's just anxious, you know, worried about her speech."

Parker frowned.

"Why?"

Booth placed his sandwich down and tilted his head.

"You know Pal, even though Bones is really smart and talks to big rooms full of people all the time, she still gets nervous and shy when she has to speak to people she doesn't know, does that make sense."

Parker nodded but his furrowed brow held strong.

"But when she talks to the big rooms, does she know everyone."

"Well no but she knows they're all there for the same reason which is to listen to her talk about bones."

Parker took another bite of his sandwich, understanding what his father had said.

"Stay here for sec Buddy; I'm just gonna go get a coffee ok?"

Parker nodded and smiled, taking a sip of his juice.

"Hey Parker."

Parker turned seeing Tony behind him.

"Where's your Mom?"

Parker looked around.

"Bathroom, why?"

"My Mom wants to talk to her remember."

Tony looked at him as if he were stupid for not knowing the answer.

"Oh yeah, that's right, well she hasn't eaten yet, so maybe after that."

Tony glared at him.

"You know I told Katie her Mom was a liar."

Parker dropped his eyes to his plate.

"It's pretty cool your Mom's a scientist, does she let you do experiments?"

Parker grinned stupidly, thinking of all the things Bones had let him blow up, grow, hatch, laser, burn, the list went on, she was pretty awesome.

"Yep, heaps of them, it's awesome and I get to hang out in the science lab too, its way better than any school lab."

"Cool, your Mom sounds awesome; my Mom would never let me do experiments."

Parker raised his brows.

"Yeah she's pretty cool and she's a real genius, she knows everything...She's the best Mom ever."

Booth headed back toward his son who was chatting to another boy, he smiled seeing Bones standing behind Parker, a stunned look on her face.

"Hey, Bones..."

Parker spun around to face her, knowing instantly she had heard his conversation with Tony.

"Why are you just standing there?"

She looked down at Parker, his eyes pleading with hers and hers searching his. Tempe looked briefly to Booth and smiled.

"I was... I was thinking how crowded it was in here, that's all."

Booth, squinted at her, seeing she was hiding something from him. She stepped forward, placing a reassuring hand on Parker's shoulder and smiled. Tony looked up and smiled at his classmates parents.

"Hi, I'm Tony, you must be Parker's Mom and Dad, my Mom really wants to meet you Mrs B, can I bring her over?"

Brennan smiled, glancing quickly at Parker before answering.

"Sure Tony bring her over in a little while, I'd like to eat first if that's ok."

Tony smiled.

"Sure Mrs B see ya later, bye Parker bye Mr B."

Booth waved the boy off absent-mindedly; a little shocked his partner hadn't corrected the child for his assumption of her family role.

"Yeah see ya kid."

Tempe smiled and sat next to Parker who was currently looking up at her very guilty faced.

"I'm sorry I lied Bones, I know you don't like lying and I don't either but Tony and his brother..."

She held her hand up to him, effectively hushing his diatribe.

"It's ok Parks, I understand, you've realized you want your Mom here and..."

Parker frowned.

"What, No... Bones I'm glad you're here… I… I told Tony you're my Mom the other day, I thought the kids didn't like me but they're mean coz of Mom's job, they say she helps criminals get away but I wanted you to come before that... I wish you were my Mom too Bones..."

Booth didn't miss tears in his best friends eyes, his Son's words had gone straight to her heart. Booth smiled, he had missed the conversation between Parker and his classmate but gathered what had been said. Tempe's reaction to Parker was more than Booth had ever hoped for and he found it only increased his yearning for her. She would make a fantastic mother one day, of that he was certain.

Brennan pulled Parker against her chest hugging him tightly and kissing his head. Tempe looked up into Booth's eyes that were staring at her affectionately. She smiled earning her a full blown charm smile from her partner. Parker pulled back slightly.

"So does that mean you'll pretend to be my Mom?"

He looked up hopefully, Tempe briefly glanced at Booth for his reaction, seeing he held no qualms she smiled and tapped his nose playfully.

"Sure Parker, I'd be honored."

Parker grinned and kissed her cheek loudly.

"Thanks Bo... I mean Mom."

Brennan blushed, hearing the title for the first time. Booth broke the silence quietly.

"So... if Bones is your Mom now, are we married or..."

Brennan looked mildly stunned and began to object.

"Booth you know I don't believe..."

Parker looked to both adults cheekily, seeing an opportunity to finally have them how they were meant to be.

"Oh definitely."

Booth smiled, picking up on the conspiring tone of his Son's voice, a flash of Angela squealing fleeted through his minds-eye. Bones looked to Parker's brown eyes begging her again to help him out. She exhaled in defeat.

Booth smiled slowly seeing Bones slight blush and bright eyes. He eased himself down to sit next to her, his arm brushing against hers as he settled. Brennan gave a small smile at their proximity, before taking a bite of her sandwich.

Booth placed his hand on her knee when he noted Tony and his mother walking toward them, his digit gently stroked back and forth in a comforting manner.

"Oh my lord, Temperance Brennan, I can't believe it..."

Tempe stood up quickly to greet the woman, the fake smile she uses in place when greeting over-zealous fans. Booth stood also, his arm again wrapping around her waist in a protective manner. Tempe noticed Tony's mother's eyes travel Booth's suited body and she stood instinctively closer to him, her arm also finding its way around his waist.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs?"

She paused and tilted her head to the side.

"Oh Costello, Leanne Costello."

She held her hand out and giggled when Tempe shook it. Brennan glanced up to Booth silently telling him she was uncomfortable and glad he was with her.

They continued to chat for a little while until Parker voiced his desire to take his parents outside. They were happy to oblige and excused themselves politely, putting their garbage in the trash can and walking out into the warm DC air. Once they were far enough away from eavesdroppers Booth posed the question.

"So... Parker explain yourself please."

He looked up guilty faced and sad eyed.

"Tony and his friends have been mean to me since I started at this stupid school, I didn't know why till they were shoving me after school, they said they knew my Mom was a lawyer and her job was to help people get away with crimes, they said she helped murderers and thieves be free, I wasn't gonna lie but then I thought of you and Bones always acting all..."

He shrugged trying to find the appropriate word, failing he settled on his instinct.

"Lovey dovey and I just wished... I'm sorry I lied and I'm sorry I made you guys lie but I just wanted them to leave me alone."

Booth sighed, seeing his son was being truthful in his reasons.

"Buddy have you told your Mom any of this?"

Parker shook his head.

"She never listened to me before, just thinks that she knows everything, now she's never there to listen, she's always working late and starting early, that's why I didn't ask her to come, plus she would've just said no..."

Booth interrupted.

"I thought you told her after I dropped you home?"

Parker shook is head slowly, dropping his eyes.

"I was gonna, but then she called and said she was gonna be late again and I got mad with her coz she promised we were going to watch a movie together."

Parker looked to Bones and smiled.

"I wanted Bones to come and knew she wouldn't be too busy for me."

Booth smiled affectionately at his partner, it was true she had proven to always be available for his kid no matter how snowed under with work she really was, Temperance Brennan always had time for his son.

"Ok Buddy, but maybe we should talk to your Mom, tell her how you feel?"

Parker's eyes widened.

"No... I... I don't want her to feel bad, I'm ok with it, besides I get to hang out more with you and Bones now and if she stopped working so much I wouldn't be able to... please don't say anything Dad, please."

Booth sighed the pleading in his son's voice having the desired effect, looking up he glanced at Bones who to his amusement was giving him a perfect pout coupled with puppy dog eyes that would put a Labrador to shame. Booth shook his head with a chuckle and nodded in defeat.

"Ok... your secret is safe for now, but you can't lie forever, no matter the reason Pal, your classmates will notice your Mom picking you up sometimes."

"No they won't Dad; Rose picks me up when I don't get the bus."

Parker was determined to make his white lie work out for the best and Booth knew there was nothing he could say to make his son believe otherwise. The little family spent the rest of lunch talking about the pending the weekend, Booth had his son again due to Rebecca working on an upcoming case and the boys were currently trying to talk Brennan into ice skating.

"Booth my gluts were sore for days after our last ice skating fiasco."

Booth chuckled.

"Well my darling..."

He slung his arm over her shoulder affectionately albeit playfully.

"There is a simple solution to that..."

She blushed at his hungry stare, his eyes wandering her face.

"Don't fall down."

Tempe scowled good naturedly.

"Oh sure... it's that simple... just don't fall, while balancing on thin metal blades over frozen water."

Parker grinned at their bantering; he knew Bones was ten seconds away from giving in. He watched his Dad lean in and kiss her cheek softly.

"Well when you say it like that, it just sounds hard... how about I promise to hold you up the entire time and not let go?"

His question was more of a statement, informing her of his plan to keep her close. She couldn't help the smile that graced her features; her mouth opened and released a whispered.

"Ok"

Parker cheered and clapped, his mind already clouding with all the fun they would have this coming Saturday.

* * *

**Another one down, one more to go… if you want more? Sorry you guys, I was a little lost and unsure of break times.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer-I make no profit from this story and I don't own any characters you recognize.**

**A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to all taking the time to review, I seriously love them, they make writing easier.**

* * *

The bell began for the end of lunch and they hurried to get to the class room, Tempe unconsciously slipping her small hand into Booth's much larger one, he smiled and gave her a contented squeeze, pulling her along as his son ran ahead of them.

The class room was filling quickly and they took their previous positions at the rear of the room. The teacher stood quietly at the front with a patient smile in place as he waited for children and parents alike to settle. The door closed with the last group and silence descended.

"Ok folks let's begin..."

He looked down at his clip board and then up in search of his next student.

"Parker Booth, would you like to go next."

Parker glanced at his Dad and Bones giving a nervous smile before standing with a nod. Booth took Brennan's hand and they followed Parker to the front of the room.

Parker looked at the crowd and took a deep breath.

"Hi, my name is Parker Booth and this is my Dad and Mom."

Both adults smiled at the room, Bones blushing slightly as she felt Booth's fingers caress her hip.

"My Mom is a Forensic Anthropologist, she's also an author and my Dad's work partner, my Dad is an FBI Agent and retired Army Ranger."

Parker looked to Brennan and raised his brows, silently telling her she could continue. Tempe stepped forward and inhaled deeply.

"Umm, hello everyone, my name is Temperance Brennan, as Parker stated I am a Forensic Anthropologist, I work with Booth..."

She turned to glance at her partner.

"...In a bid to solve crimes and identify human skeletons, when they can't be recognized. I can tell Booth when, where and how a person has died, and if someone committed a crime against them. In my work I have travelled to many countries around the world, it's exciting and fun but a lot of hard work. I've met a lot of people and made a lot of discoveries, earning me a lot of respect in the field of Anthropology."

Hands around the room were already going up in preparation for question time. Booth smiled as he watched her confidence feed off the children's eagerness to find out more about her occupation.

"Now for those of you who don't know what an Anthropologist is, I and people like me, that is, in the same occupation, we go out to different sites around the world and uncover remains of humans from past civilizations and more recent times. We dig very carefully and slowly sometimes taking months to uncover one skeleton, we don't want to damage anything about the find. Once we free the bones we can then try to discover how they died, when and why. We can learn about how they lived, what they ate and how old they are."

The kids were practically bouncing in their seats, with their hands raised high and their fingers twinkling for attention. She pointed to a child in the second row.

"Have you ever seen dinosaur bones?"

Brennan smiled, it always fascinated her how many children liked dinosaurs.

"Yes, we have many at the museum and I was lucky enough to help at a dig once that housed both human skeletons and dinosaur remains."

The children all 'ooed and ahhed'.

"So did the people get eaten by the dinosaurs?"

Brennan frowned and looked at the child strangely, she briefly wondered how a child of nine or ten years could believe humans and dinosaur existed at the same time and considered talking to the principle about the obvious inadequate curriculum.

"Umm no, the dinosaur bones were much, much older than the human bones and far deeper in the earth."

She pointed to another child.

"Parker said you let him do experiments, is that true?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Yes, Parker is guided and supervised, through all experiments he does in the walls of my lab, I don't allow experiments without my consent first."

She indicated for another child to speak.

"Is it weird looking at dead people all the time?"

She smiled weakly.

"Let me ask you a question..."

The little girl nodded.

"If someone in your family went missing, wouldn't you want to know what happened to them, no matter how long it took?"

The little girl nodded.

"Me too, so that's what I do. I discover who someone was, how they died and then give them back to their loved ones, everybody has a story to tell and people who are no longer living can't speak so I tell the story for them."

The little girl smiled at the answer she was provided and turned to her Dad with a smile. Booth felt his respect for his best friend bubble and over flow; she was a truly inspiring woman.

Another child raised their hand.

"Did you bring any bones for us to see?"

She smiled and turned to her bag.

"I did, I brought in a skull..."

She listened to the cheers around the room and the resounding 'cool's and awesome's"

"You will need the permission of you parents if you wish to hold it and you need to be very careful with it"

The skull was passed around slowly, the kids loving the hands on approach. Parker waited at the end of each row, to help pass the skull around without any accidents. The questions dwindled and it was Booths turn to step up.

"Hi, I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth; I work with the FBI to catch the bad guys... and girls."

He smiled at the giggles and chuckles from the room.

"And I'm also Dr. Brennan's partner. Together we solve crimes that other's haven't been able to, we get to follow all the clues and put the bad guys in jail."

The kids were just as focused on Booth as they had been on Brennan and again hands were already going up, vying for the chance to ask the first question.

"Do you have a gun?"

Booth smiled, he had guessed that would be the first inquiry.

"Yes I do."

"Can we see, please Sir, can we..."

The room filled with pleading voices and whining begs. Booth chuckled before answering.

"I didn't bring my gun with me kids, it stays in a special safe at the FBI, if I'm not working I don't carry it because guns are very dangerous and people get hurt. They're not a toy and should never be played with."

The kids nodded in understanding and although the parents had been a little shocked at how gun crazy their children were, they were happy Booth had soothed and educated their offspring on the dangers of carrying a weapon.

"I brought my badge if anyone wants to see it and my handcuffs."

The room broke out in applause and excitement as Booth handed his badge to the first row to be passed around and his cuffs to the other side.

The questions continued every child interested in becoming a FBI agent, a small brown haired girl with big blue eyes, sat quietly at the front with her hand raised and Booth smiled at her ability to wait patiently.

"Did you have a question Amelia?"

She looked to her teacher and then back to Booth who was watching her curiously.

"M... Mr Boo... Booth, can girls be FBI agents too?"

Booth smiled and dropped to one knee, he looked to either side of the girl, she seemed to be alone.

"Amelia? Is that your name?"

She sat all the way back in her seat, wide eyed and waiting. She nodded timidly.

"Amelia. You can be anything you want to be, and if you want to be an FBI agent then you can, lots of girls are in the FBI, is that what you wanna be?"

The scrawny little girl nodded.

"I... I wanted to be a policewoman but I think I can help more people in the FBI."

Brennan smiled at the interaction between Booth and this little girl, her partner seemed entranced by her and it set her heart beat racing.

"Sweetheart, I think no matter what job you choose, you're going to help people but to answer your question, yes you can help a lot of people when you work for the FBI."

The girl swung her little legs back and forth happily, as Booth stood up again to take his place with his family. Brennan slid her hand from his elbow down his arm to his hand and linked them tightly. One of the parents sitting in the room raised their hand. Brennan recognized her as one of the women from the group in the foyer that morning. Booth raised his brows indicating the woman should speak.

"Yes, actually this question is for your wife?"

Booth looked to Bones and smiled, watching her step forward slightly.

"I watched an interview with you a few years back and you stated you didn't like children, is that no longer the case?"

Brennan swallowed visibly, glancing to Parker; she looked back up to the woman and scowled at her.

"I fail to see what this has to do with the topic of career choices but… Actually, what I said was I didn't want to have children, not that I didn't like them, I have seen firsthand through the stupidity and selfishness of adults how children suffer, I don't want to add to it, when so many children are in this world already, living in orphanages or abusive homes. I live a life that before now never allowed me the freedom to remain in one place too long, I would take many trips for undetermined periods of time and that is not fair to a child. Now however, I am able to choose where and when and if I go away."

Parker stepped forward and took Bones hand in his, squeezing her tightly and reassuring her that she had said the right thing. The woman now standing apparently wasn't finished her interrogation and raised another question.

"So if that interview was recorded only a few years ago and Parker here is at least nine years old... that would mean he is not your child."

Brennan squinted at the blonde, and relaxed a little feeling Booth step up behind her while she continued.

"That's a very astute observation..."

The woman smiled, feeling proud of herself.

"Was that grade two mathematics...?"

Parker giggled as the woman now scowled at his 'Mom'. Parker could see Katie tugging on the woman's sleeve trying to get her to sit down and realized it must have been her mother.

"You are correct, I did not give birth to Parker but just because you give life to a child, does not make you a mother, as a very smart young man pointed out to me just last week..."

She turned, smiling down at the mop haired boy by her side.

"A mother is defined by more than just a birth parent, I have chosen to have Parker in my life and my love him is that of a Mothers."

The blonde haired woman took her seat in a huff, crossing her arms across her chest and giving the room a pout. Booth smiled as they took their places at the back of the room again.

* * *

The afternoon progressed rather quickly after that and before long the final bell was ringing. The Booth clan waited for the room to empty and offered to help rearrange the tables and chairs but were sent on their way. As the group made their way toward the parking lot, Parker turned abruptly hearing his name.

"Parker!"

Booth and Brennan also turned and were a little stunned to see an irate Rebecca standing about six feet away, tapping her foot; she was accompanied by the blonde woman from in the classroom. Parker stepped closer wanting to avoid drawing further attention to them.

"Hi Mom."

"Don't you hi Mom me young man, why didn't you tell me about parent's day?"

Parker rubbed his face in a similar fashion to his father when frustrated.

"I... I didn't want to bother you, I know you're busy and its fine Mom, Dad and Bones came with me."

Rebecca looked up seeing her ex and his 'partner' standing by closely.

"I suppose this was your idea Seeley, for her to come..."

Booth frowned and opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by his son.

"Mom, Dad didn't know I asked Bones until after, it was my idea, I wanted Bones to come."

Rebecca huffed as she continued to tap her foot.

"Mom can we talk about this later, when I'm not at school please, everyone's watching."

"No Parker I think now is a perfect time to discuss it..."

"Mom..."

"No Parks, you asked her to come to parent's day, what was she pretending to be your Mom, is she training to take my place..."

Rebecca's voice was loud and they were beginning to pull a crowd, Parker looked around, seeing a few of his class mates watching, he felt his face turn red with embarrassment.

"Mom..."

"Parker, I want to hear why you brought her and didn't even tell me about this day..."

Rebecca's voice was drowned out by Parker's angry scream.

"I didn't tell you coz I wanted Bones to come instead, no-one likes me at this school, I have no friends and it's all your fault, everyone knows you help the bad guys get away and they all hate me for it, so I asked Bones to come and I made her pretend to be my real Mom for a day, I hate this school and you made me leave Woodside, I didn't have to pretend there and I'm not sorry I asked Bones to come instead of you, I love her and I hate you..."

Parker turned on his heel and stormed back to his Dad and Bones who were gobsmacked. Neither had ever heard Parker yelling in such a way, he was normally so quietly spoken and rarely raised his voice.

"Parker, Buddy I think you should apologize to your Mom."

Parker glared at his Dad.

"You told me I shouldn't lie and if I said sorry it would be a lie, coz I'm not, I'm not sorry for anything I said, I mean it..."

Rebecca had been stunned into silence and now stood frozen on the spot, a car horn blaring broke her daze and she looked to her son speaking quietly with his dad. She approached.

"Maybe you should stay with your father tonight if that's the way you feel; I don't particularly want to see you right now anyway."

Parker shrugged.

"Good. It's not like I'd see you anyway."

Rebecca sighed.

"Oh, so this all because you're feeling neglected, let me tell you something Parker, I took that job to put a roof over your head and food on the table, so I can buy you nice things and take you places..."

"I had a roof over my head before Mom and food on the table and we never go anywhere, the only thing I like about you working all the time is I get to see Dad and Bones more, everything else sucks..."

The young boy stormed off toward the parking lot, his school bag dragging on the ground behind him. Booth looked to Brennan who looked a little stunned but mainly torn over staying put or running after Parker. Booth smiled and tilted his head in the direction of his son, silently telling her to go. She briefly squeezed his hand and trotted away without a single glance to Rebecca, who was still fuming. Booth watched her for a second wondering how she would react to his presence if he got any closer, deciding to risk it he stepped up to her slowly and carefully.

"Becca..."

She raised her eyes to him, her face was flushed, she looked tired and he instantly felt bad for her.

"He doesn't mean it, you know he loves you, he's just confused, he's been very lonely since all the changes, no hockey or baseball or B-ball, no friends at school, the school curriculum is different and he's playing catch up and his grades are down, he misses you..."

"So it's all my fault, I..."

Booth groaned.

"Bec don't put words in my mouth, you know that's not what I meant, and he knows you have to work..."

"Seeley he's been like this before the move, he fights me on everything..."

Booth smiled and gave a small chuckle.

"He's a boy Bec, he's growing up."

She sighed defeated.

"Maybe we should discuss him moving in with you..."

Booth was shocked but couldn't hide his elation at the idea of his son moving in with him.

"I mean he's gonna need a man to talk to and he's obviously not happy with me..."

Booth took another hesitant step forward.

"Bec are you sure about this, I mean he..."

"No I'm not sure but I think it's what he needs, he can go to his old school again, have his friends back and all his after school and weekend sports back and I guess he can come see me whenever I'm not working."

Booth could see his ex's eyes tearing up and felt bad that he was so happy, but he hid it well and tried to comfort her.

"Bec you can't go back on this, we can't keep shifting him around, once he's back in his old school and with me, that's it unless he says otherwise, you can't change your mind."

She nodded, suddenly feeling the seriousness of her request.

"Seeley don't you think for one second this is easy for me, you think I want to give you my son..."

"Our son Rebecca... our son."

Booth felt his jaw pulsate at her possessive words, she nodded, silently relenting.

"Yes... our son Seeley, I think he needs his father, he's pushing me away and I don't want him to hate me, so you take him, I'm never home for him anyway and he's craving attention that I just can't give to him right now."

Booth could see how hard this was for her, she was effectively giving him everything he had been wanting for years and she was doing it with their son's best interests at heart.

"Ok Becca, I'll take him and enrol him back in Woodside, I'll have to come and collect all his school things."

She gave him a sad smile and nodded solemnly.

"Ok... it's settled, we'll swap, Parker will live with you and come see me every second weekend or whenever he wants too?"

Booth nodded with a slight smile and bright eyes.

"I'll talk to Parker, make sure he's ok with it all and then give you a call."

Rebecca nodded trying desperately to fight her emotions and her tears.

"Tell him I love him Seeley."

Booth smiled.

"He knows that Bec but I'll remind him."

They parted slowly, walking off in opposite directions the only sound cutting through the silence was the echo of Rebecca's high heels clicking against the concrete.

Booth searched the parking lot for his son and partner, finding them sitting on a small grassed hill talking quietly, although animatedly, as both of them used their hands to enhance what they were saying. Booth watched them quietly for a few minutes, every now and then catching a sentence on the breeze.

"Your Dad will fix everything Parker, don't worry..."

Booth smiled.

"She was real mad Bones..."

Booth agreed with his son but he also thought she was upset with herself for not being able to deal with everything on her own, Rebecca hated calling on others to help her, she considered it a weakness, a floor in her character and she didn't like admitting she had them.

"Have faith Parker, it's your Dad..."

Booth felt his pulse quicken at her obvious belief in his abilities, he walked closer to them, his shadow warning them of his approach. Two sets of eyes looked up at him, both as curious as each other.

"Is she still mad Dad?"

Booth squatted down next to them with a sigh.

"She's ok Buddy..."

Booth looked to Brennan silently telling her he would explain everything later and then looked back to his kid.

"Listen Pal, I wanna ask you something ok..."

Parker frowned and nodded slowly knowing whatever was coming was serious.

"I want you to tell me the truth ok..."

Again Parker nodded, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"How would you like to come and live with me and...?"

Parker didn't wait for the end of the question; he launched himself into his Dad's arms, hugging him tightly.

"YES... YES..."

Booth chuckled and hugged his boy back just as tightly, throwing a smile to Bones who was watching them happily. Parker pulled back after a moment giving his Dad a questioning stare.

"Really Dad, is it true, I get to come live with you?"

Booth smiled.

"If that's what you want Pal..."

Parker nodded happily.

"I do, I want to Dad."

Booth grinned stupidly at his Son and partner.

"Well your Mom has agreed that given everything that has happened lately and how she's not around much and you're so unhappy, that you moving in with me and going back to your old school is what's best for you, and I agree."

Parker's eyes widened further.

"I get to go back to my old school too, oh awesome Dad, thanks a bunch."

Parker lunged forward again, hugging his Dad once more. Booth closed his eyes, silently wishing the moment would never end. Parker pulled back again.

"When Dad, when do I get to move and go back to my old school?"

Booth looked to his watch.

"Well, we can pick up your stuff from your mom's tomorrow and we can re-enrol you on Monday, how's that sound?"

Parker clapped his hands together with a huge cheesy grin on his face.

"Awesome."

Parker turned to Bones and flashed her, his own charm smile.

"Did you hear that Bones, I'm moving in with Dad, how cool is that?"

She ruffled his hair playfully, giggling as he hugged her tightly.

"I heard Parker, that's wonderful news."

Booth spoke up to gain his Son's attention.

"Hey Buddy, there's gonna be changes you know, I can't afford Rose like your Mom did, and I don't finish work till five most days, so that means after school you need to catch a bus back to the Hoover building and wait in my office till I'm done an..."

Brennan spoke up quickly.

"Actually Booth, I was thinking and only if you both agree, Parker could come to the lab after school, there's always one of the squints there and he could get extra tuition... if he wants?"

Parker was all smiles and looked to his Dad pleadingly.

"Oh yeah, please Dad, can I, please, please, please..."

Booth smiled and silently asked his partner if she was sure, she grinned and nodded, giving him her pouty face again.

"Ok but, if the squints are busy you stay outta their way Buddy."

Parker nodded furiously, understanding the situation perfectly but unable to wipe the grin from his face.

"I will Dad thanks..."

The boy turned to Bones hugging her again with all his might.

"Thanks Bones, you're the best."

He embraced her for a little longer before releasing her and looking back to his Dad.

"Is Mom really mad with me Dad?"

Booth gave a tight smile and reached out to his Son.

"Nah, she's a little upset, that's all, I think if you give her a call and apologize tonight she'll be ok."

"Dad... I didn't mean to hurt her, she... I... we just don't get on very well, I'm glad I'm coming to live with you."

"Me too Pal... me too."

* * *

Parker lay in bed quietly, his Dad had ushered him out of the lounge room at eleven pm, half an hour later than his normal Friday night curfew. They had been celebrating his moving in with his Dad, pizza, movies and loads of strawberry ice cream. He had begged Bones to come over too and after dinner the three of them had had watched the third Harry Potter in a conscious effort to get Bones up to speed before the new one hit the screens in a few weeks.

Parker had originally been situated between the adults but upon returning from using the bathroom, he sat himself on the end next to Bones and snuggled in next to her. His new position forced her to lean into Booth who smiled and was only too happy to support her.

Parker closed his eyes with a smile, thinking of the way Bones had kissed his cheek and forehead to say goodnight, wishing him pleasant dreams. He hadn't received a goodnight kiss except from his Dad in many weeks and although he would never admit it, the ten year old had missed it.

The blonde Booth rolled over onto his belly and tucked his arms under his pillow, he could feel the power of sleep washing over him, he glanced out his bedroom window and smiled. The same stars he gazed at from his Mom's house, shone through the curtains and he tilted his head at the brightest. Smiling he thought about how it was twinkling more tonight, as if it knew, it had fulfilled a wish made upon its light just a week ago.

* * *

**END- Please give me one more review.**

**A/N In regards to the sequel of CTB to those of you patiently waiting, I have started it and will get it up asap, I'm just having a few muse monkey issues. It has taken longer to get up and going than I originally intended, I had planned to begin writing it as soon as I had posted the final chapter of CTB, but alas real life had other intentions and I have been battling the constant nausea that comes with being pregnant for many weeks now. Rest assured it will be done though and it will be posted the moment it's ready. Thanks for your continued patience and support. **


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